NFL Power Rankings: San Francisco 49ers and Teams That Have Earned Elite Status

In the wacky and unpredictable 2011 NFL season, there are many middle-of-the-road teams, a few terrible teams and even fewer elite teams. Through seven weeks, the only team that has looked great week in and week out is the Green Bay Packers. 

Once you get past the Packers, it's hard to come up with another team that appears clearly capable of winning a Super Bowl. In the playoffs, anything can happen—but now we can only judge the things that we've seen. 

Still, a few teams have made noise in the first part of the season and are on the verge of becoming contenders. 

Here are three surprise teams that belong in that category. 

No. 3 San Francisco 49ers (5-1)

The only question mark for the 49ers right now is quarterback Alex Smith, yet he has proven himself capable of making plays at crucial moments (e.g. in the game against Detroit). Though Smith doesn't put up big passing numbers, much of this is simply a consequence of the way the 49ers run their offense.

San Francisco's offensive line has gotten better each week, making life much easier on Frank Gore, who has rushed for over 100 yards in his last three games. 

Jim Harbaugh's confidence has rubbed off on his players. After years of underachieving, the 49ers have proven they are one of the best teams in the NFL this season. 

No. 4 New Orleans Saints (5-2)

After the Saints' playoff loss to the Seahawks last season, I had serious questions about New Orleans' defense. I wasn't sure if the Saints could remain a serious contender without vast improvement on that side of the ball.

What I failed to realize is just how much Drew Brees can make up for any defensive shortcomings. He is playing as well as he ever has, and the Saints have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. 

New Orleans has played well even in defeat. Their two losses have come by a combined 14 points. The offense is arguably the best in the NFL, and the defense makes enough plays to keep things close. 

No. 8 Detroit Lions (5-2)

I'm sure that this is my most controversial choice—but when you look at what the Lions have done so far this year and factor in their deep potential, it's obvious that they are one of the best teams in the NFL.

The biggest concern for the Lions is the running game. If Jahvid Best has to miss the rest of the year, Detroit will continue to struggle on the ground. But the team is simply stacked with talent on offense and defense, even if Ndamukong Suh is a "dirty" player.

Every team is entitled to a mini-slide in the middle of the season, and the Lions have had theirs the last two weeks. They will bounce back in a big way against Denver this week and come out of the bye in Week 10 ready to continue their solid play. 

Rank	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	7-0
2	New England Patriots	5-1
3	San Francisco 49ers	5-1
4	New Orleans Saints	5-2
5	Pittsburgh Steelers	5-2
6	Buffalo Bills	4-2
7	New York Giants	4-2
8	Detroit Lions	5-2
9	Houston Texans	4-3
10	Baltimore Ravens	4-2
11	Atlanta Falcons	4-3
12	San Diego Chargers	4-2
13	Cincinnati Bengals	4-2
14	New York Jets	4-3
15	Chicago Bears	4-3
16	Carolina Panthers	2-5
17	Dallas Cowboys	3-3
18	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-3
19	Washington Redskins	3-3
20	Kansas City Chiefs	3-3
21	Philadelphia Eagles	2-4
22	Tennessee Titans	3-3
23	Oakland Raiders	4-3
24	Cleveland Browns	3-3
25	Seattle Seahawks	2-4
26	Denver Broncos	2-4
27	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-5
28	Arizona Cardinals	1-5
29	Minnesota Vikings	1-6
30	St. Louis Rams	0-6
31	Miami Dolphins	0-6
32	Indianapolis Colts	0-7